The Presidential Inauguration in History The Presidential Inauguration in History Help Site Map Text Only The First Inauguration It was in New York City, out nation's first capital, that George Washington became the first President of the United States. Congress had planned for the new government to begin its responsibilities on March 4, 1789, but a harsh winter made travel difficult, and it wasn't until April 6 that enough congressmen arrived in New York to count the electors' votes and announce, "Whereby it appears that George Washington, Esq. Was unanimously elected President, --and John Adams, Esq. Was duly elected Vice President of the United States of America " It took several days for the exciting news to reach Mount Vernon, General Washington's home in Virginia. He set off for the capital, leaving behind his wife, Martha, who would join him later. He traveled by coach and on horseback through Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia, finally arriving in New York City aboard a grand barge that had been rowed from New Jersey across Newark Bay. Meanwhile John Adams, his Vice President-elect, and the Congress were deciding what the new Chief Executive's official title should be.

Adams preferred "His Most Benign Highness," but a congressional committee settled on the title we still use today: "President of the United States." Inauguration Day, April 30, began with the sounds of ceremonial artillery and church bells ringing across the city. At noon, General Washington made his way through large crowds to Federal Hall, where both houses of Congress were assembled for swearing-in. New York Chancellor Robert Livingston read the oath, and Washington, his right hand on a Bible, repeated the words inscribed in the Constitution: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." President Washington added the words, "So help me God," a custom followed by every President since. Inaugural Traditions The First Inauguration gave rise to many traditions that continue today. For example, President Washington followed his swearing-in with an Inaugural Address, a special speech written for the occasion.

In 1793, the oath of office for Washington's second term was administered by William Cushing, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and the first in a long line of Supreme Court Justices to preside over Presidential Inaugurations. Thomas Jefferson was the first to be sworn in as President in Washington, D.C., the location chosen for the permanent capital and the site of all but a handful of Inaugural ceremonies. Jefferson showed his taste for simplicity by going on foot to the Capitol for the oath-taking and returning to his boardinghouse afterwards for dinner. After his second Inauguration, however, Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the President's House (the name then used for the White House) amid music and a spontaneous gathering of mechanics from the nearby Navy Yard  a procession that grew into today's Inaugural Parade. Jefferson's second Inauguration also began the tradition of the Inaugural Open House, when the executive mansion was opened to all who wished to greet the President after his swearing-in.

The popularity of the Open House would later cause our seventh President, Andrew Jackson, to flee through a window after a mob of well-wishers stormed the White House, ruining furniture and breaking china in their eagerness to see him. In 1865, despite growing concern about safety, Abraham Lincoln shook some 6,000 hands after his second Inauguration. President Grover Cleveland, realizing that the White House could no longer accommodate such crowds, instead held a review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand just outside, adding another element to the Inaugural Parade. Presidents have celebrated in many ways since George Washington danced the minuet after his Inauguration in 1789. James Madison, America's fourth President, and his wife, Dolley, were the guests of honor at the first official Inaugural Ball, held at Long's Hotel in Washington, D.C. Martin Van Buren's Inauguration featured two balls, and President William Henry Harrison held three to meet the ever-growing demand for tickets. Later Inaugurations have featured specially built pavilions for dancing, balls held at several sites throughout the capital, and even Inaugural parties in other cities.

Modern Inaugural festivities reflect not only the President they honor, but also the desire to include the many Americans who want to take part in celebrating our nation's rich history and the transfer of presidential power. Technology and Ceremony You may have watched President Bill Clinton's 1997 Inauguration on television or heard about it from a radio broadcast. Maybe your local newspaper carried photographs of the event, or perhaps you visited an Internet web site to get information about the ceremony and various Inaugural celebrations. We rely on technology to help us participate in and learn about our government in ways that previous generations of Americans never dreamed. For example, only the members of Congress gathered in Federal Hall on April 30, 1789, heard President Washington's first Inaugural Address. Twenty years later, after James Madison's swearing-in, his speech was published in the newspaper for all to read. James Polk took the oath of office on 1845 while Samuel Morse, inventor of the electric telegraph, sat near him on the platform tapping out the news on his miraculous machine. It was 1857  the year James Buchanan became President when the Inauguration ceremony was first photographed.

Citizens across the country were able to share in the festivities through pictures. Four decades later, movie cameras recorded highlights of William McKinley's Inauguration, giving viewers a new window into history. The year 1925 found Americans gathered around their radios to hear Calvin Coolidge take the oath of office, and in 1949, Harry Truman became the first President to whose swearing-in was televised. If you like to use computers, you may know that President Bill Clinton's second Inauguration was the first to have an official web site and to be seen live on the Internet by people around the world. Inaugural Language The Constitution is the supreme law of the united States, describing out country's three-branched, democratic system of government and the fundamental rights to which all citizens are entitled. In Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, our nation's founders declared that "The executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America," and provided an oath of office for the President-elect's official swearing-in.

This 35-word oath has remained unchanged for more than two centuries, in part because it so clearly and simply describes the responsibilities of the Chief Executive: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." In 1817, James Monroe, our fifth President, became the first to give an Inaugural Address to an assembled public crowd. Since that time, the traditional Inaugural Address has been an opportunity for the President to speak directly to the American people. George Washington said juts 135 words after his second inauguration in 1793, while William Henry Harrison gave the longest Inaugural Address ever, taking almost two hours to deliver 8,445 words. Inaugural Addresses are often remembered as reflecting a particular time in history.

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln called on Americans to " finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds," while in 1933 Franklin Roosevelt reached out to citizens discouraged by the Great Depression, saying, "This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper." President John F. Kennedy inspired a generation of young people in 1961 when he urged, " ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country." And in 1993, President Bill Clinton reassured a nation in transition after the end of the Cold War by stating, "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789 The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789 Printer Friendly Version >>> The Constitution of the United States was ratified by the states in June 1788. In February of the following year the new nation's Electoral College selected George Washington to be its first president.

On April 16, 1789 Washington began the journey from his home at Mount Vernon to New York City, then the nation's capital, where he would be inaugurated. Washington was reluctant to leave the serenity of his home and uncertain about his new position. His journal entry for that day noted: "About 10 o'clock I bade adieu to Mount Vernon, to private life, and to domestic felicity, and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express, set out for New York in company with Mr. Thompson, and Colonel Humphries, with the best dispositions to render service to my country in obedience to its call, but with less hope of answering its expectations." His journey to New York City took seven days and was transformed into a triumphal procession by the crowds and local officials who greeted the new president along the way. Celebrations erupted at numerous towns along his route including Alexandria, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia and Trenton. Washington arrived at Elizabeth Town, NJ on April 23 where a ceremonial barge awaited to take him across the river to Manhattan.

ADVERTISMENT Entrance into the City Rudolph Von Dorsten was the Secretary of the Dutch Legation in New York City and describes Washington's entrance into the city: "President George Washington made his entry into New York on Thursday, April 23d. On the previous day a barge left this city. The barge was built expressly by the citizens of New York, and was rowed by thirteen pilots, all dressed in white. A committee of three Senators and five Representatives on behalf of Congress, and three of the first officers on behalf of New York, went to Elizabethtown in New Jersey, to welcome the President, and to await his arrival there. His Excellency was also accompanied by some well-equipped sloops and by a multitude of small craft with citizens of New Jersey and New York on board. A Spanish royal packet-boat, happening to be anchored at the entrance of the harbor, at sight of the barge, on board of which was Washington crosses to New York the President, fired a signal-shot, whereupon that vessel was dressed at once with the flags of all nations.

When the presidential barge passed, the Spanish vessel saluted his Excellency by firing thirteen guns, which was repeated by the Battery, and again thirteen guns were fired by the fort when the President landed. His Excellency was received by Governor George Clinton, the mayor of the city and other officers, and, after a procession had formed, consisting of some companies of uniformed citizens and the merchants and other citizens of the city, the President walked with his escort and, Governor Clinton at his side, to the house prepared by Congress for his use." Taking the Oath of Office Washington remained at his New York residence for a week while the House and the Senate ironed out their differences over how the formal inauguration should be conducted. Finally, on April 30, Washington was escorted to Federal Hall on Wall Street and into the Senate Chamber. Washington, Vice President John Adams, the Senators and Representatives stepped out of the chamber onto a balcony overlooking the street filled with a cheering crowd. As there were as yet no Supreme Court Justices, the Oath of Office was administered by Chancellor Robert R. Livingstone - New York's highest ranking judge. After taking the oath, Washington and the others returned to the Senate Chamber where the new president gave a short speech.

William Maclay was a farmer, a lawyer and one of Pennsylvania's Senators. He kept a diary of his experiences. We pick up his story as Washington arrives at the Senate Chamber: "The President advanced between the Senate and Representatives, bowing to each. He was placed in the chair by the Vice-President; the Senate with their president on the right, the Speaker and the Representatives on his left. The Vice-President rose and addressed a short sentence to him. The import of it was that he should now take the oath of office as President. He seemed to have forgot half what he was to say, for he made a dead pause and stood for some time, to appearance, in a vacant mood. He finished with a formal bow, and the President was conducted out of the middle window into the gallery, and the Washington takes the oath oath was administered by the Chancellor. Notice that the business done was communicated to the crowd by proclamation, etc., who gave three cheers, and repeated it on the President bowing to them. As the company returned into the Senate chamber, the President took the, chair and the Senators and Representatives, their seats. He rose, and all arose also, and addressed them.

This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket. He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before. He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of what I think the tailors call the faIl of the breeches (corresponding to the modern side-pocket), changing the paper into his left (right) hand. After some time he then did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand. When he came to the words all the world, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing-masters, and that this first of men had read off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking his eyes from the paper, for I felt hurt that he was not first in everything. He was dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a.

bag, and sword." References: Van Dorsten's account was first published in Clarence Bowen (ed.) The History of the Centennial Celebration of the Inauguration of George Washington as First President of the United States (1892) republished in Paul Angle (ed.) The American Reader (1958); Senator Maclay's account appears in Bowling, Kenneth, Helen Vent (eds.) The Diary of William Maclay (1988); Jackson, Donald (ed) The Diaries of George Washington (1976-1979); Schecter, Stephen L. and Richard Bernstein (eds.) Well Begun: Chronicles of the Early National Period (1989). How To Cite This Article: "The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789," EyeWitness to History, (2005). When he stepped out onto the balcony, Robert R. Livingston discovered to his horror that he had no Bible to use in administrating the oath. A messenger was quickly sent to the nearby Masonic lodge where a Bible was borrowed. Thomas Jefferson - U.S.

Presidents - HISTORY.com Thomas Jefferson A+E Networks Introduction Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was a leading figure in America’s early development. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), Jefferson served in the Virginia legislature and the Continental Congress and was governor of Virginia. He later served as U.S. minister to France and U.S. secretary of state, and was vice president under John Adams (1735-1826). Jefferson, who thought the national government should have a limited role in citizens’ lives, was elected president in 1800. During his two terms in office (1801-1809), the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark explored the vast new acquisition. Although Jefferson promoted individual liberty, he was also a slaveowner. After leaving office, he retired to his Virginia plantation, Monticello, and helped found the University of Virginia.

Google Thomas Jefferson’s Early Years Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, a plantation on a large tract of land near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia . His father, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was a successful planter and surveyor and his mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson (1720-76), came from a prominent Virginia family. Thomas was their third child and eldest son; he had six sisters and one surviving brother. Did You Know? In 1815, Jefferson sold his 6,700-volume personal library to Congress for $23,950 to replace books lost when the British burned the U.S. Capitol, which housed the Library of Congress, during the War of 1812. Jefferson's books formed the foundation of the rebuilt Library of Congress's collections In 1762, Jefferson graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he reportedly enjoyed studying for 15 hours then practicing violin for several more hours on a daily basis.

He went on to study law under the tutelage of a respected Virginia attorney (there were no official law schools in America at the time), and began working as a lawyer in 1767. As a member of colonial Virginia’s House of Burgesses from 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his reserved manner, gained recognition for penning a pamphlet, “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” (1774), which declared that the British Parliament had no right to exercise authority over the American colonies. Marriage and Monticello After his father died when Jefferson was a teen, the future president inherited the Shadwell property. In 1768, Jefferson began clearing a mountaintop on the land, in preparation for the elegant brick mansion he would construct there called Monticello (“little mountain” in Italian). Jefferson, who had a keen interest in architecture and gardening, designed the home and its elaborate gardens himself. Over the course of his life, he remodeled and expanded Monticello and filled it with art, fine furnishings and interesting gadgets and architectural details.

He kept records of everything that happened at the 5,000-acre plantation, including daily weather reports, a gardening journal and notes about his slaves and animals. On January 1, 1772, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton (1748-82), a young widow. The couple moved to Monticello and eventually had six children; only two daughters–Martha (1772-1836) and Mary (1778-1804)–survived into adulthood. In 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha died at age 33 following complications from child-birth. Jefferson was distraught and never remarried. However, it is believed he fathered more children with one of his slaves, Sally Hemmings (1773-1835). Slavery was a contradictory issue in Jefferson’s life. Although he was an advocate for individual liberty and at one point promoted a plan for gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he owned slaves throughout his life.

Additionally, while he wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal,” he believed African Americans were biologically inferior to whites and thought the two races could not co-exist peacefully in freedom. Jefferson inherited some 175 slaves from his father and father-in-law and owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of his life. He freed only a small number of them in his will; the majority were sold following his death. Thomas Jefferson and the American Revolution In 1775, with the American Revolutionary War recently under way, Jefferson was selected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. Although not known as a great public speaker, he was a gifted writer and at age 33, was asked to draft the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson discussed the document’s contents with a five-member drafting committee that included John Adams and Benjamin Franklin ). The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free of British rule and also detailed the importance of individual rights and freedoms, was adopted on July 4, 1776.

In the fall of 1776, Jefferson resigned from the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia House of Delegates (formerly the House of Burgesses). He considered the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which he authored in the late 1770s and which Virginia lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of the significant achievements of his career. It was a forerunner to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects people’s right to worship as they choose. From 1779 to 1781, Jefferson served as governor of Virginia, and from 1783 to 1784, did a second stint in Congress (then officially known, since 1781, as the Congress of the Confederation). In 1785, he succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) as U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant he could not attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787; however, he was kept informed of the proceedings to draft a new national constitution and later advocated for including a bill of rights and presidential term limits.

Jefferson’s Path to the Presidency After returning to America in the fall of 1789, Jefferson accepted an appointment from President George Washington (1732-99) to become the new nation’s first secretary of state. In this post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) over foreign policy and their differing interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. In the early 1790s, Jefferson, who favored strong state and local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Federalist Party , which advocated for a strong national government with broad powers over the economy. In the presidential election of 1796, Jefferson ran against John Adams and received the second highest amount of votes, which according to the law at the time, made him vice president. Jefferson ran against Adams again in the presidential election of 1800, which turned into a bitter battle between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. Jefferson defeated Adams; however, due to a flaw in the electoral system, Jefferson tied with fellow Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr (1756-1836).

The House of Representatives broke the tie and voted Jefferson into office. In order to avoid a repeat of this situation, Congress proposed the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which required separate voting for president and vice president. The amendment was ratified in 1804 Jefferson Becomes Third U.S. President Jefferson was sworn into office on March 4, 1801; his was the first presidential inauguration held in Washington , D.C. (George Washington was inaugurated in New York in 1789; in 1793, he was sworn into office in Philadelphia, as was his successor, John Adams, in 1797.) Instead of riding in a horse-drawn carriage, Jefferson broke with tradition and walked to and from the ceremony. One of the most significant achievements of Jefferson’s first administration was the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million in 1803. At more than 820,000 square miles, the acquisition (which included lands extending between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico to present-day Canada) effectively doubled the size of the United States.

Jefferson then commissioned Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) and William Clark (1770-1838) to explore the uncharted land, plus the area beyond, out to the Pacific Ocean. (At the time, most Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean). The expedition, known today as the Corps of Discovery, lasted from 1804 to 1806 and provided valuable information about the geography, American Indian tribes and animal and plant life of the western part of the continent. In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election and defeated Federalist candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) of South Carolina with more than 70 percent of the popular vote and an electoral count of 162-14. During his second term, Jefferson focused on trying to keep America out of Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). However, after Great Britain and France, who were at war, both began harassing American merchant ships, Jefferson implemented the Embargo of 1807. The act, which closed U.S.

ports to foreign trade, proved unpopular with Americans and hurt the U.S. economy. It was repealed in 1809 and, despite the president’s attempts to maintain neutrality, the U.S. ended up going to war against Britain in 1812. Jefferson chose not to run for a third term in 1808 and was succeeded in office by James Madison (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian and former U.S. secretary of state. Thomas Jefferson’s Later Years Jefferson spent his post-presidential years at Monticello, where he continued to pursue his many interests, including architecture, music, reading and gardening. He also helped found the University of Virginia, which held its first classes in 1825. Jefferson was involved with designing the school’s buildings and curriculum, and ensured that unlike other American colleges at the time, the school had no religious affiliation or religious requirements for its students. Jefferson died at age 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Coincidentally, John Adams, Jefferson’s friend, former rival and fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence, died the same day. Jefferson was buried at Monticello. However, due to the significant debt the former president had accumulated during his life, his mansion, furnishing and slaves were sold at auction following his death. Monticello was eventually acquired by a non-profit organization, which opened it to the public in 1954. Jefferson remains an American icon. His face appears on the U.S. nickel and is carved into stone at Mount Rushmore . The Jefferson Memorial, near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated on April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth. Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault . Start your free trial today. Tags First Inaugural Address | National Archives First Inaugural Address George Washington's First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789 Records of the United States Senate View images of the first inaugural address Presidential inaugurations are important civic rituals in our nation's political life.

The Constitution requires that presidential electoral votes be opened and counted by the Senate and House of Representatives meeting together, that the candidate with a majority of electoral votes be declared the victor, and that the president-elect, before taking charge of the office, swear an oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." In 1788, the Confederation Congress scheduled the first presidential inauguration for the first Wednesday in March of the following year. However, the early months of 1789 proved to be unseasonably cold and snowy and bad weather delayed many members of the First Federal Congress from arriving promptly in New York City, the temporary seat of government. Until a quorum could be established in both the House and the Senate, no official business could be conducted. Finally, on April 6, 1789 - over a month late - enough members had reached New York to tally the electoral ballots. The ballots were counted on April 6 and George Washington won unanimously with 69 electoral votes. Washington was then notified of his victory and traveled to New York City from his home in Virginia.

On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath as the first president of the United States. The oath was administered by Robert R. Livingston, the Chancellor of New York, on a second floor balcony of Federal Hall, above a crowd assembled in the streets to witness this historic event. President Washington and the members of Congress then retired to the Senate Chamber, where Washington delivered the first inaugural address to a joint session of Congress. Washington humbly noted the power of the nations' call for him to serve as president and the shared responsibility of the president and Congress to preserve "the sacred fire of liberty" and a republican form of government. At that auspicious moment marking the birth of the federal government under the Constitution, Senator William Maclay of Pennsylvania observed that even the great Washington trembled when he faced the assembled representatives and senators. "This great man was agitated and embarrassed," Maclay added, "more than ever he was by the levelled Cannon or pointed Musket." After concluding his remarks, the President and Congress proceeded through crowds lined up on Broadway to St. Paul's Church, where a service was conducted. Social gatherings and festivities closed the nation's first inaugural day.

Subsequent presidential inaugurations took place on March 4th (or March 5th when the fourth fell on a Sunday), until the Twentieth Amendment changed the date to January 20th beginning in 1937. Ten Facts About Washington’s Presidency · George Washington's Mount Vernon Unanimously elected President of the United States twice, George Washington played an essential part in shaping the role and function of the President of the United States. 1. President Washington never lived in Washington, D.C. George Washington is the only US president to have never occupied the White House. In New York and then later in Philadelphia, the Washingtons occupied a series of grand houses, where they received members of Congress, officials, foreign dignitaries, and other prominent people according to a standing weekly schedule. In July 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act which called for the permanent capital of the United States to be located on the Potomac River (the future Washington D.C.). President Washington personally overlooked the building of what he once termed "the seat of Empire." He specified the location of the ten-mile square federal district, the President's mansion (the White House), and the Capitol. Building the new nation's capitol 2.

George Washington established the tradition of a cabinet of advisors While the Constitution calls for the creation of executive departments, it only explained that the heads of executive departments were unelected officials who had to answer to the president. Washington defined how these roles would function. While the current presidential cabinet includes sixteen members (fifteen heads of executive agencies and the vice president), Washington’s cabinet included just four original members: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson , Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton , Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. Washington set the precedence for how these roles would interact with the presidency, establishing the cabinet as the chief executive’s private, trusted advisors. Further, Washington sought to include multiple perspectives in the cabinet, perhaps best exhibited by the political spectrum ranging from Hamilton to Jefferson. While variance helped ensure that differing ideas would be aired, it also created tensions, particularly regarding debates over the establishment of a national bank. As Jefferson himself admitted, "Hamilton and myself were daily pitted in the cabinet like two cocks.” Despite the harsh disagreements, Jefferson believed that the tone had little impact on quality of governance, explaining that "The pain was for Hamilton and myself, but the public experienced no inconvenience." Learn More: Washington's Cabinet 3.

Washington signed into law the first copyright law On May 31, 1790, President Washington signed the Copyright Act of 1790 into law. Formally titled, “An act for the encouragement of learning by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned,” the legislation was the first law protecting copyright in the United States. The act explained that it intended to protect “the author and authors of any map, chart, book or books already printed within these United States,” and that authors would “have the sole right and liberty of printing, reprinting, publishing and vending such map, chart, book or books.” Copies of the law bearing Washington’s signature were re-printed in newspapers throughout the country. Learn More: Copyright Act of 1790 4. Washington set precedents for the social life of the president Washington was concerned that the presidents of the Confederation Congress had been overwhelmed by visitors in the past. As a result, during the presidency Washington set aside the late afternoon for meetings with the public and evenings for dinner parties with invited guests. On Tuesday afternoons Washington received male callers from three until four o'clock in the afternoon.

The reception was a series of gentlemanly introductions and greetings where Washington was visited in a formal manner as President of the United States. Friday evenings included both women and men and were less formal affairs featuring interaction with colleagues and other politicians. Learn More: Presidential Entertaining 5. The first Thanksgiving Proclamation was issued by President Washington Days of thanksgiving were celebrated since the beginning of European settlement in North America. In 1789, President Washington formalized the holiday by issuing a proclamation designating November 26 as a national day of thanksgiving. Washington declared that the day sprung from the Almighty’s care of Americans both during and after the Revolution. The proclamation was distributed to state governors, requesting that they announce and observe the day within their states. Newspapers subsequently published the proclamation and celebrations were held throughout the United States. Washington himself marked the day by attending services at St. Paul's Chapel in New York City, and subsequently donating beer and food to imprisoned debtors in the city. Learn More: Thanksgiving 6.

President Washington personally led troops into the field to stop the Whiskey Rebellion Suffering under a heavy debt load originating from the American Revolution, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in January 1791 proposed to Congress an excise tax “upon spirits distilled within the United States.” This tax, which was passed into law in March 1791, was angrily opposed by many Americans living in Western Pennsylvania. Many of these frontier citizens relied heavily on distilled spirits for income and violently opposed this tax. Attempts to end the uprising peacefully were rejected by the growing opposition. By 1794 the Whiskey Rebellion threatened the stability of the new United States and challenged the authority of the democratically-elected federal government. President Washington organized a militia force of 12,950 men and personally led them towards Western Pennsylvania, warning locals "not to abet, aid, or comfort the Insurgents aforesaid, as they will answer the contrary at their peril." The calling of the militia had the desired effect of essentially ending the Whiskey Rebellion. By the time the militia reached Pittsburgh, the rebels had dispersed and could not be found. The militia apprehended approximately 150 men and tried them for treason.

Limited evidence and the inability to obtain witnesses hampered the trials. Two men, John Mitchell and Philip Weigel, were found guilty of treason, though both were pardoned by President Washington. George Washington's firm actions during this crisis served to build the strength and authority of the new federal government. Learn More: The Whiskey Rebellion 7. Washington vetoed only two bills while President Washington rejected both pieces of legislation based on ideological concerns and in each instance Congress was unable to overturn the veto. The first bill that Washington vetoed was the Apportionment Bill of April 5, 1792 which aimed at providing guidelines for the number of congressional representatives based on the results of 1790 census. Washington vetoed the legislation based on constitutional concerns, believing that the law would not divide each state’s population evenly when determining representation. Further, Washington argued that the law had unfairly “allotted to eight of the States, more than one [representative] for thirty thousand,” potentially creating an imbalance in power. On February 28, 1797 (shortly before leaving office), Washington vetoed a bill aimed at cutting the size and cost of the military.

The veto was utilized based on the advice of Secretary of War James McHenry and was policy-driven, objecting to one specific provision that dissolved two companies of light cavalry. 8. President Washington delivered an important address on religious tolerance at a Rhode Island synagogue On August 18, 1790, congregants of the Touro Synagogue of Newport, Rhode Island, warmly welcomed George Washington to both their place of worship and their city. Washington’s letter of response to the synagogue, delivered on the same day, has become famous for reinforcing the ideal of religious liberty in American life. Washington promised the synagogue more than mere religious tolerance, explaining that "It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights." The letter continued with the promise that "the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support." Washington's remarks established a precedent for protecting religious liberty and pluralism in the United States that persists to this day. Learn More: Washington at the Touro Synagogue 9.

Washington’s second inaugural address is the shortest ever delivered Washington’s second inaugural, delivered March 4, 1793, clocked in at less than two minutes and was only 135 words in length. The text of that ever-so-brief address reads: “I am again called upon by the voice of my country to execute the functions of its Chief Magistrate. When the occasion proper for it shall arrive, I shall endeavor to express the high sense I entertain of this distinguished honor, and of the confidence which has been reposed in me by the people of united America.” “ Previous to the execution of any official act of the President the Constitution requires an oath of office. This oath I am now about to take, and in your presence: That if it shall be found during my administration of the Government I have in any instance violated willingly or knowingly the injunctions thereof, I may (besides incurring constitutional punishment) be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony.” 10. Washington’s Farewell Address is one of the most celebrated speeches in American history.

Washington’s Farewell Address, which warned against “the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party,” encouraged a focus on education and morality, cautioned against sectionalism within the nation, and admonished against entangling foreign alliances, has continued to have influence over American culture and political debates long past when it was first published. In the midst of the Civil War, on February 19, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling on Americans to mark Washington’s birthday. Lincoln “recommended to the people of the United States that they assemble in their customary places of meeting for public solemnities on the 22d day of February” to “celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Father of his Country by causing to be read to them his immortal Farewell Address.” Since 1896, the United States Senate has commemorated Washington’s birthday with an annual reading of the Farewell Address, all 7,641 words, by a selected sitting Senator. At the conclusion of the reading, the chosen Senator signs and writes his or her thoughts on the significance of the address in the pages of a leather-bound book that is maintained by the Secretary of the Senate.

Inauguration - Washington DC Presidential Inaugural Guide Barack Obama 57th Presidential Inauguration Gifts Own a piece of American history as Barack H. Obama takes the Oath of Office, January 21, 2013, on the steps of The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. to become The 44th President of the United States of America. Celebrate this historic Inauguration with one of our fine collectibles that will serve as proud memories for years to come. We are offering a wide selection of keepsake items to commemorate this worldwide historical event. The items we offer can be given as gifts to family, friends, and church groups that will be admired and cherished for generations to come. Record crowds are expected to attend the swearing in ceremony as well as the Inaugural Parade. Estimates of the attendance at 'The World's Largest Party' is expected to top four million people, far exceeding anything "The District" has EVER experienced. Read More General Inaugural Information Attending the inauguration of an American President is one of the most empowering experiences an American can ever have. Get public visitors information about where to begin your visit to Washington and the 56th Presidential Inauguration.

Arrive early for required security screening and anticipate large crowds.Gates to the Inaugural Ceremony open at 9 a.m. and the musical prelude begins at 10 a.m. Be prepared to pass through several security screenings before reaching the section indicated on your ticket. There will be no check room for prohibited items. Here are some interesting facts/trivia about the history of the United States' Presidential inuauguration: 1) George Washington�s inauguration was held in New York City on April 30, 1789. 2) Inauguration Day was changed to January 20, from March 4, in 1933 by the passage of the Twentieth Amendment to the US Constitution. 3) Bill Clinton�s, January 20, 1997, inauguration was the first inauguration to be broadcast live over Internet. 4) George Washington gave the shortest inaugural address in history: (135 words). 5) In 1865, Abraham Lincoln was the first president to include African-Americans in his inaugural parade.

6) In 1917, Woodrow Wilson was the first president to include women in his inaugural parade 7) When January 20 is on a Sunday, the president-elect usually takes the oath of office privately and then repeats the ceremony in public on Monday. General Inauguration Comments Security Information For The Presidential Inauguration The Department of Homeland Security announced that the Presidential Inauguration to be held on January 21, 2013, has been designated a National Special Security Event. This designation is also extended to the Swearing-in Ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, the Inaugural Parade, the official reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue, and the Inaugural Balls. When an event is designated a National Special Security Event (NSSE), the Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead federal agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan and coordinator for all Federal resources deployed to maintain the level of security needed for the designated events. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) serves as the lead agency responsible for intelligence and law enforcement operations as well as statutory Federal criminal investigations. The goal of such an operation is to prevent terrorist attacks and criminal acts.

Resources used as part of past NSSE operational security plans that could be deployed for upcoming NSSE designated events include physical infrastructure security fencing and barricades, special access accreditation badges, K-9 Teams, and other security technologies. Presidential Inauguration - Preamble and Location The inauguration usually takes place at noon on the steps of the West front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., an appointee of outgoing President Bush, will oversee the changing of the guard by administering the oath, which traditionally is done on a Bible. Also present will be members of the U.S. armed forces, since the president is also commander-in-chief. All but one of the inaugural addresses were given at the building housing the United States Congress. Washington gave his first address at Federal Hall in New York City and his second address in Congress Hall in Philadelphia. Adams also gave his in Congress Hall in Philadelphia. Jefferson gave both of his addresses at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. and all addresses since then have been given there, except for Franklin D. Roosevelt's fourth address, which he gave at the White House.

Travel Tips: Getting In & Out of DC Millions of people are expected to help celebrate the 57th US Presidential Inauguration on January 21st, 2013. This guide will help you find the fastest ways to travel throughout Washington, DC. From updated Metrorail schedules to changed bus routes. Because of road closures and restricted access around the U.S. Capitol, ticket holders should use Metro. Metrorail will operate rush hour service for 17 consecutive hours (4 a.m. to 9 p.m.), will stay open for two extra hours (until 2 a.m.), offer free parking at its facilities and will be one important transportation alternative for people who are planning to attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on Monday, January 21, 2013. Your best options include Metrorail and Metrobus and the DC Circulator bus. You can avoid waiting in line in Metro stations by Pre-Purchasing All-Day Metro Passes .

Due to the fact most all (and certainly this one in particular) inaugurations are multi-day celebrations the best advice (if you can afford it) would be come early and stay late - a micrcosm of this mantra would be inauguration day itself: leave for the ceremony well before dawn and plan on staying well after dusk lest you find yourself in maddening lines for a way back to your residence. Read More Inaugural Balls and Galas Many inaugural balls and galas will take place at venues throughout the Washington, DC area this Inauguartion season. The official balls are planned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, while unofficial parties are also planned by the State Societies of Washington, DC and a variety of local and national organizations. This inaugural celebration guide will be updated as events are announced.

Interestingly, taxpayers foot the bill for security and the actual swearing-in ceremony,but private fundraising pays for most of the events including the dozen or so "officially sanctioned" inaugural balls: these balls are funded by donations and ball ticket sales: On the down side, you can pay over $100,000 for The Formal Inaugural Ball, but if your pockets are not mighty deep, you can always hit up one of the hundreds of informal parties in hotels, private homes, museums, auditoriums and (particularly during this inauguration) just about anywhere a handful of people are able to gather indoors. Also for this historic event, there will be many, many Hollywood "A-Listers." Read More The 56th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2009 was a magical, as well as historical day. Although the temperature dropped to the single digits with the wind whipping, that refused to stop two-million people strong from attending the 56th Presidential inauguration. "Yes We Can" was President Barack Obama's rallying cry througout his campaign to be the 44th President and Commander-in-Chief.

The crowd that packed the National Mall (from the Capitol Building all the way back to the Washington Monument - over two miles) was an incredible combination of ecstatic jubilation and peaceful celebration. Security was extremely tight and lack of communication between law enforcement agencies made for long lines of supporters trying to ingress and egress The National Mall. However, the people would not be stopped - they wanted to see the first African American Commander-in-Chief get sworn in and would wait in lines as long as they had to to do so. We Are One : The Obama Inaugural Celebration Broadcast live on an open signal from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., by HBO. "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" performance was a two-hour historical event organized with themes that shaped President Obama's campaign and will be the hallmarks of his administration. Being surrounded by an estimated half million people was well worth braving the cold, long security lines, and the hassles. The list of musical performers featured: Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, Bettye LaVette, Jon Bon Jovi, Mstr. Sgt.

Caleb Green (U.S. Army), John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Pete Seeger, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, U2, Will.i.am and Stevie Wonder. The 55th Presidential Inauguration The World watched President George W. Bush second inaugural address President Bush committing the United States to defeating tyranny and expanding freedom. Sworn in by ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the president delivered a 22-minute address that outlined his view of America's role in the world. President Bush's 2005 Presidential Inaugural theme was "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service;" his inagural address read in part: �America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home � the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.� President Bush continued: "Vice President Cheney, Mr.

Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens: "On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed. "At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire." The 54th Presidential Inauguration A crowd estimated at 300,000 of Americans came from accross our country to brave the cold and drizzle to witness the 43rd peaceful transfer of presidential authority. George W. Bush as he was sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 20, 2001.

Although the weather was foreboding, it was not an issue for the hundreds of thousands of people in attendance. President George H.W. Bush's inaugural address started thusly: "President Clinton, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens, the peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country. With a simple oath, we affirm old traditions and make new beginnings. As I begin, I thank President Clinton for his service to our nation. And I thank Vice President Gore for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace. I am honored and humbled to stand here, where so many of America's leaders have come before me, and so many will follow. We have a place, all of us, in a long story--a story we continue, but whose end we will not see.

It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old, a story of a slave-holding society that became a servant of freedom, the story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer." 2013 Inaugural Luncheon After President-elect Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his Inaugural address and following the departure ceremony for the outgoing President, Barack Obama will be escorted to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol for the traditional Inaugural Luncheon. Read More 2013 Inaugural Parade January 21, 2013, 2:30 p.m. Tickets are not required. The public will not be allowed to lineup along the parade route before 6:30 a.m. until the parade route can no longer accommodate additional people. The parade will begin at the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building and proceed along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Location: Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC. Viewing stands and bleachers will extend from 3rd to 17th Streets.

Parade Route Entry Points: The Average High Temperature is 39 F with a historical range of 17 F to 60 F The Average Low Temperature is 27 F with a historical range of 8 F to 42 F There is a 0% chance of a Hot Day (temperature over 90�F). (0 days out of 16 in historical record) Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0 There is a 6% chance of a Warm Day (temperature over 60�F). (1 day out of 16 in historical record) Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0 There is a 69% chance of a Freezing Day (temperature below 32�F). (11 days out of 16 in historical record) Most consecutive days found in historic record: 1 Daily Precipitation Weather statistics are based on recorded dates from 1993 to present. Probabilities (chance of) statistics indicate the chance of an event or condition per day (ie. a 30 percent chance of a cloudy day indicates that each day has a 30 percent chance of being cloudy).

The Average Daily Precipitation is 0.15 with a historical range of 0.00 to 0.96 The Average Snow Depth is 1.0 with a historical range of 0.0 to 4.0 There is a 38% chance of a Precipitation Day. (6 days out of 16 in historical record) Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0 Inaugural Accomodations According to the Obama Inauguration 58 percent of the people attending the inauguration are planning to stay overnight. These 58 percent are looking for a room between $150.00 and $200.00 per night. 20 percent of respondants say they can afford between $150.00 and $200.00 a night. 8 percent of the respondants say the can afford between $250.00 and $300.00 per night. 2 percent say they can afford to pay up to $500.00 per night. 12 percent of attendees live in the area or plan to just attend the ceremony and return to their home.

Question: In which city was the first US Presidential inauguration held, prior to Washington DC becoming the capital?
Answer: New York